


An Old Intimate Friend

by Hekate1308



Series: The Kings Of Lawrence [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Jane Austen Fusion, Emma - Freeform, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 04:58:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8273803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: As an old friend of Dean Winchester, from the day he had been asked to hold the newborn by the late Mrs. Winchester when he had been sixteen, Castiel Novak was particularly interested in anything that could touch the omega’s happiness. "Emma" retelling, Destiel, ABO





	

As an old friend of Dean Winchester, from the day he had been asked to hold the newborn by the late Mrs. Winchester when he had been sixteen, Castiel Novak was particularly interested in anything that could touch the omega’s happiness.

And Mr. and Mrs. Singer’s well-meant plans for his mating Jo Harvelle, Mrs. Singer’s daughter from her first marriage, certainly fell under that category.

“Jo will be visiting us soon” Mrs. Singer told him one afternoon, Novak having called on them on his way to the Winchesters, as he was wont to do.

Personally, Novak didn’t think much of the young alpha who had not thought it necessary to visit her mother immediately upon her remarriage six months ago, but he would never have expressed these thoughts, not even to Dean.

“I am glad” he answered, and he truly was, since seeing her daughter would bring Mrs. Singer much enjoyment; however, he could have easily lived without her answering, “She’s twenty-three, you know.”

Dean was too, as she was very aware, having been his and his little brother’s governess since their mother died in a house fire when they were but toddlers.

Novak knew that, if the two young couple could attach themselves to one another, it would be regarded as a very suitable match indeed; but for some reason he couldn’t see it in the same light. Perhaps because he felt that the objections of Dean’s father might be more serious than the couple realized. Overprotective to the point of paranoia ever since his wife died, John Winchester had barely allowed Sam and Gabriel to mate, and Dean was his prized older son, who had seemingly dedicated his life to his family and his friends.

They never spoke about this, of course. It was enough for him to be an old intimate friend of the family, and at thirty-nine he could appreciate the choice not to mate.

Moreover, he had never agreed with certain traditional views. One only had to look as far as Dean to realize what omegas were capable of.

“Ah, Novak” Mr. Winchester greeted him when he entered the drawing room, “I was wondering if you would call today. Did you hear from Sammy?”

Sam hated being called “Sammy”, but Novak doubted John Winchester would have cared to hear that.

“I had a letter from Gabriel yesterday. The children are doing well.”

Mr. Winchester huffed. “They would do better here. London’s not good for one’s health.”

To be honest, most people in the small town of Lawrence had been relieved when Sam and Gabriel had taken a house in town. The country provided too little entertainment for a man as vivacious as he was; and Sam understood that well enough not to regret living rather far away from his brother as much as he would have otherwise.

“Dean’s at the Martins’ again” Mr. Winchester told him, “Harriet has had her child.”

Of course Dean would be there immediately.

“Mr. Martin is a good man” Novak said, always eager to defend the farmer. John only made a small noise in the back of his throat.

Really, Novak would never called as often as he would have if it hadn’t been for Dean and the friendship their late mothers had shared.

Mary Winchester would never have clung as tightly to her sons, he was sure. And his mother had been only too glad to see Gabriel mate, had even got to hear their little Naomi calling her “Grandma”.

John Winchester had never shown too much interest in his grandchildren, not even when Sam had called their second son John.

Naturally, their firstborn was called Dean.

Of course it was none of Novak’s business, but he liked to think that Dean’s happiness certainly was. And if Dean should want to mater after all...

He frowned. He really shouldn’t dwell on such things, not when Dean had ever given any indication of even being tempted to contemplate mating an alpha.

Novak would have known. Dean would have told him. There were no secrets between them, there never had been.

“I hear Jo Harvelle is finally coming to visit poor Ellen” John said.

Another point on which he and the whole neighbourhood disagreed. Ellen Harvelle could not have found a better husband than Bobby Singer; and the poor man, whose first wife had died when they were still in their twenties, had more than deserved domestic bliss, not the least because he had always looked after Sam and Dean as if they were his own sons.

Quite frankly, all the more reason for Jo Harvelle to finally visit her mother and her new father, despite Novak’s misgivings.

“Cas!”

He hadn’t heard Dean enter the room. As always his father shot him a disapproving look when he addressed Novak this way; but he had called him Cas since he had learned to talk and decided “Novak” and “Castiel” were both too time-consuming to pronounce.

“How are Bobby and Ellen?”

Of course he knew he’d called. He always did.

“They are very well.”

Dean beamed. “I told you it would be a good match”.

He had. Repeatedly. Since he was sixteen. And, Novak had to admit, he had done everything he could to promote the match by often inviting Mr. Singer to dinner and ensuring his father again and again that he was old enough to do without a governess.

Novak only smiled at his old friend, happy to see there was no hint of envy in the young omega’s face or voice.

And so another evening was passed in the pleasure that was Dean Winchester’s company before he returned to his big, empty home.

Later, he would chide himself for his own foolishness.

He should have known that his joy at being with Dean had quite other reasons than old, disinterested friendship.

Jo Harvelle finally came to visit; and she was everything Novak would have expected her mother’s daughter to be; fashionable, friendly, polite, outgoing –

And quite obviously courting Dean.

And Dean was flirting back.

A week hadn’t passed before Mr. and Mrs. Singer were congratulating themselves on such a wonderful son-in-law, and the neighbourhood began to expect an announcement. Except for John Winchester, of course, but he tended to ignore what he couldn’t change.

Novak was left to wonder why he didn’t like the thought. Dean would be taken from them, it was true; but no alpha, least of all an easy-going one like Jo Harvelle, could have objected to letters and visits from such an old friend as Novak was; and he only wished for the omegas happiness, so why –

He decided it was because he could see what others could not: that at times Miss Harvelle was a quite insufferable selfish air head, who treated good people like the Martins with condescension and once wasted a whole day because she had to drive to London to get her hair cut.

How someone as sensible as Dean could overlook all of this, he didn’t know.

But it was at Mr. Elton’s garden party that Novak finally learned just how far Miss Harvelle’s influence already reached.

Never would he have believed that Dean Winchester could forget himself enough to exclaim “Mr. Martin married rather under the expectations of his mother, I believe” within hearing of Harriet.

He was displeased, and he let Dean know it as he left early, escorting Harriet home to her mate and child, while the poor omega was telling him that she understood only too well, and that she would always be thankful for the attention she had received from the Winchester family.

Even as he walked home, he still believed the pain in his heart was nothing but indignation; and it was not until he was in his room, trying to sleep, that he finally exclaimed, “My love would have bettered both of us, instead of making _him_ worse – “

And then he realized he had spoken the truth. All these years as Dean Winchester’s fatherly friend – they were before him in an instant: and with regret he realized that in the past few years his feelings had undergone a complete transformation; and that his heart was completely and utterly devoted to Dean Winchester, not as a mentor, but as only a mate could be.

It was hopeless, of course. Dean would mate Miss Harvelle.

Leaving, he decided in the course of a sleepless night tormented by memories of Dean’s beautiful laughter, was the best thing he could do. Leave, and forget about Dean Winchester; or at least teach his heart to forget what he had learned, and remember that he was an old intimate friend of the family, and nothing more.

He had a half-formed plan on going to visit his brother, but knew it would be the wrong thing to do; Sam was too much like Dean, and yet so different, that the older Winchester would be constantly before him in comparison; and until he had subdued these foolish feelings, he would not risk Gabriel realizing what was wrong with him.

Luckily, the owner of an estate would always find something to do, even if it didn’t seem particularly necessary; and he quickly found that he finally had enough room on an edge of one of his fields to indulge in the hobby he had often dreamed of as a child – beekeeping. And an old friend of his father’s in a neighbouring county, Cain Weston, had his own bee farm. Naturally he had to do some research before he embarked on such an undertaking, and therefore he had to leave for a short visit of maybe two or three weeks.

It sounded perfectly reasonable; and to his satisfaction of doing the right thing was added the bittersweet pleasure of seeing Dean genuinely sorry to watch him go, ensuring him, when he could escape his father for a moment and see him alone, that “I have done everything I could to make amends to Harriet. They seem glad to see me again, now.”

“I’m happy to hear it, Dean” he answered; apparently he still had some influence over his young beloved, even if Jo Harvelle could make him forget that after his presentation, Miss Harriet Smith had been one of the first people in the neighbourhood to call on him and treat him as if nothing had changed.

Out of an unforgivable impulse, he reached out to take Dean’s hand; and for one mad second, he was about to press it to his lips, before he remembered he was not here as a lover and let go.

And for a moment, he fooled himself into believing Dean looked disappointed. Then the young omega stepped back and smiled.

“Have fun. Bring back some good bees – we could use the honey”.

“I will, Dean” he promised.

 _Even if I should serve it for your mating_ , he thought, his heart beating painfully in his chest.

Mr. Weston was quite kind to him, and he enjoyed watching the bees at their work; but the elder man was also clever, and on the second day of his visit, he told Novak, “It always helps me to watch them, too. It has helped me through many a heartache.”

He feared that his face might betray him, so he turned away; but it was enough of an answer.

“Is there no hope?” Mr. Weston asked softly.

“There never was”.

It hurt to say it out loud, but it was the truth he had to accept.

At least that was what he thought until he got a letter from his brother a week later. He didn’t open it for a whole day, too weak to read what news he feared it brought; but then he reminded himself of his duty to send Dean his congratulations in case – in case...

He opened it after lunch and soon found that his impatient brother had written more pages than he usually would.

There was news then.

But it was not the one he was expecting.

_Castiel –_

_News might already have reached you from a different quarter by the time you read this, but it still infuriates us that Miss Harvelle should have courted Dean while being engaged in secret._

He let his hands sink. No. It couldn’t be.

_Dean’s letter was cheerful, as always, but Sam is nonetheless concerned for his brother, as he has every right to be; we will visit soon, and my mate asked you to –_

He would never find out what exactly Sam had asked of him. His only thought was Dean.

Of course he would try to be cheerful. Of course he would stay strong even if his heart was broken.

 _Dean_.

What did it matter that it had started to rain? He immediately told Mr. Weston that he had to leave, and the old gentleman lent him one of his fastest horses with an indulgent smile.

He rode through the rain and arrived at home a few hours later, just as the sky had cleared, and only paused long enough to don on fresh clothes before making his way to the Winchester house.

Where Dean was walking in the early twilight of dusk. His face lit up when he saw Novak.

“Cas! I didn’t expect you back yet.”

He could squeeze his hand with sympathy, and walk closer at his side as he was already wont to do.

“Dean – “ he began slowly, after a few moments had passed, “how are you?”

“As well as can be expected” he answered smoothly. “Harriet’s child – “

He helplessly listened to him going on about the Martins, when to his astonishment, he heard him say casually, “and then there’s Jo’s engagement, of course. I never guessed – she’s fiendishly clever”.

“I am sure time will heal your wound” he said quickly.

Dean frowned. “Wound?”

Although it pained him, he had to speak her name out loud.

“Miss Harvelle being engaged –

“Oh” Dean exclaimed. “You think I was – no, Cas, no. I can assure that I was never attached to _her_. It was fun to flirt and let the county fancy me in love for a season, but really, that was all there was to it.”

It was the immense relief Dean’s honest expression brought that made him stop and ask, “And could you ever fancy yourself in love with someone who would reciprocate with all the ardent desire his heart could give you?”

Dean stared at him, blushing fiercely.

“Cas?” he asked, unsure. “What do you – “

“I mean that my heart is, and has been yours, since you were grown” he admitted, “and all I ask is a chance to prove to you that you can love me to – “

“That’s impossible, Cas” he interrupted him, and Novak’s heart sank. Then, though, he continued shyly, “I can’t give you something that’s already yours.”

He needed a moment to understand.

“Are you saying – oh Dean” and this time, he didn’t hold himself back, but drew his hand to his lips to shower it with kisses, “my Dean.”

The omega cleared his throat.

“I – yes – for a while. You know I planned our mating when I was a little boy. Well, that never really went away. You didn’t seem interested though, so I was determined to be happy as I was – the single omega, looking after my father and my friends best as I could. It didn’t matter, really – I’ve been quite content; although now, of course...”

The knowledge of having been beloved by such a heart for so long was almost too much too bear; and by the time they had said everything they wanted to, it was quite dark and when Cas returned with his betrothed to his house, they had to listen to Mr. Winchester berate Dean for staying outside as long as he had.

Not for long, though, since neither of them saw a point in concealing their engagement. John Winchester’s struggle was short but intense, with Dean being reminded of Sam’s and Ellen’s fate; however, he quickly assured his father, “Don’t worry. It is settled between us that we shall be the happiest couple in the world; so you see my fate is far better than either of theirs.”

Once Mr. Winchester realized that at least his elder son would stay in the neighbourhood, he could finally give his consent, if not with grace than at least with something like a smile.

And so Gabriel cried out when he and Sam surprised them during an early breakfast not a week after their engagement, “I should have known!”; and they soon made away with all the disappointment Mr. and Mrs. Singer must have felt at losing such a son-in-law, by indeed turning out to be the happiest couple Lawrence had ever seen.


End file.
